Stories That Stick: How Storytelling Can Captivate Customers, Influence Audiences, and Transform Your Business

by Kindra Hall

Overview

You’ve heard how story is the latest-and-greatest business tool and that storytelling can do everything, from helping leaders better communicate to motivating sales teams and winning customers away from competitors. But what stories do you need to tell and how do you tell them?

Stories That Stick provides a clear framework of ideals and a concise set of actions for you to take complete control of your own story, utilizing the principles behind the world’s most effective business storytelling strategies.

Professional storyteller and nationally-known speaker Kindra Hall reveals the four unique stories you can use to differentiate, captivate, and elevate:

• the Value Story, to convince customers they need what you provide;
• the Founder Story, to persuade investors and customers your organization is worth the investment;
• the Purpose Story, to align and inspire your employees and internal customers; and
• the Customer Story, to allow those who use your product or service to share their authentic experiences with others.

Telling these stories well is a simple, accessible skill anyone can develop. With case studies, company profiles, and anecdotes backed with original research, Hall presents storytelling as the underutilized talent that separates the good from the best in business.

Stories That Stick offers specific, actionable steps readers can take to find, craft, and leverage the stories they already have and simply aren’t telling. Every person, every organization has at least four stories at their disposal. Will you tell yours?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781400211937
Publisher:	HarperCollins Leadership
Publication date:	09/24/2019
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	75,435
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Kindra Hall is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author and international keynote speaker. She speaks for and teaches leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs across countless industries to harness and leverage the power of their stories. She is Chief Storytelling Officer of SUCCESS Magazine, where she interviews icons like Deepak Chopra, Jen Sincero of the You Are a Badass series, Daymond John, and others to hear and share their stories of success. She is based in New York City with her husband and two children.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Slovenia, JFK, and the Story That Kidnapped My Husband xi

Part 1 The Irresistible Power of Storytelling

1 The Gaps in Business and the Bridges That Close (and Don't Close) Them 3

2 Once Upon a Brain 19

3 What Makes a Story Great 29

Part 2 The Four Essential Stories-The Tales Every Business Needs to Tell

4 The Value Story 53

5 The Founder Story 79

6 The Purpose Story 109

7 The Customer Story 133

Part 3 Create Your Story-Finding, Crafting, and Telling Your Story

8 Finding Your Story 153

9 Crafting Your Story 171

10 Telling Your Story 189

Conclusion: Happily Ever After Is Just the Beginning 201

Appendix: The Four-Story Cheat Sheet 207

Acknowledgments 209

Notes 213

About the Author 219

Editorial Reviews

'Whatever you do, wherever you are in your career, this is the book to read right now. Practical, funny and true, Kindra's new book is a keeper.' —Seth Godin, New York Times bestselling Author of This Is Marketing

'Storytelling is an essential business skill. It makes data more compelling and communication more effective. In her book, Kindra Hall makes storytelling accessible to anyone. You don't have to be a great writer to tell great stories—you just need to know how to tell Stories That Stick. —Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better

'Here's the story: your business is in its current state, you buy this book, read it in one sitting like I did, have your mind blown, your business greatly improves. End scene. Lots of people tell stories, a few are great at it and one can show you how to do it. That's the story of Kindra and this book.' —Scott Stratten, bestselling, award-winning author and Hall of Fame Speaker/Storyteller

'I'm picky about what I read. Doubly so with business books. But Kindra hooked me on page one and wouldn't let go. Such is the power of superb storytelling. If you want to inspire your customers and your team, craft a vision that resonates, and do better marketing, Stories That Stick is essential reading.' —Rand Fishkin, Founder of SparkToro

'Storytelling is an art form often lost today among snippets, sound bites, and buzzword copy. Which is unfortunate, because story is how we've connected with each other since language began. In Stories That Stick, Kindra Hall beautifully weaves the argument for story with the best way to craft one. Advice every business owner and influencer needs to understand.' —Mel Robbins, author of the international bestseller The 5 Second Rule

'Timely, personal, poignant, and powerful, Stories That Stick is required reading to grow your business with the power of stories. Highly recommended!' —Jay Baer, Founder of Convince and & Convert, coauthor of Talk Triggers

'In my business, telling a personal story is the essence to authenticity, and proof that what I do and who I help really achieves results. Stories share a journey that me and my team can identify with and provide a way to personally connect with our clients.' —Autumn Calabrese, Entrepreneur, fitness and nutrition expert

From the Publisher